Geno's Steaks
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Geno's Steaks is a Philadelphia restaurant specializing in cheesesteaks, founded in 1966 by Joe Vento.
Geno's is located at the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue, directly across the street from rival Pat's Steaks, which claims to have invented the steak sandwich in 1930. The cheesesteak has become a signature dish for the city of Philadelphia, with Geno's laying claim to being the first to put cheese on a steak sandwich.
Geno's has become well known for the large neon signs atop the establishment. There is no indoor seating for the public.
According to Vento, the name Geno's was chosen because Joe's Steak Place was already in business. He improvised the name from a broken door on which someone had painted GINO and modified the spelling to prevent confusion with a regional fast food chain called Gino's. Vento later named his own son Geno, and the latter now works in the family business.
The sidewalk, roof and tables around Geno's are decorated with hundreds of autographed and framed photos and memorabilia of celebrities who have patronized the venue.
Geno's was awarded Best of Philly for Best Takeout by Philadelphia Magazine in 2000. In April 2004, a branch of the shop opened in Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. This location was closed in 2006 and replaced with "Pat's" spinoff Rick's Steaks (operated by Rick Olivieri, grandson of Pat Olivieri, founder of Pat's). It was featured on the PBS special Sandwiches That You Will Like.
Vento is a prominent supporter of the family of murdered police officer Daniel Faulkner. The family supports the death sentence of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of Faulkner's murder, and is against Abu-Jamal being retried or exonerated. Geno's has sponsored several fund-raising events in support of Faulkner's family, including the 2000 First Annual Justice For Daniel Faulkner Block Party and an annual Daniel Faulkner Memorial Motorcycle Run.
In 2006, during the immigration controversy, Geno's posted a sign by their cash register that reads: "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING PLEASE 'SPEAK ENGLISH.'"[1] The sign, however, was put up six months before by owner Joe Vento. The Philadelphia's Commission on Human Relations filed a discrimination complaint. However, in an interview with Fox News analyst Neil Cavuto, Vento stated that he does not turn away any customer, and therefore does not discriminate. He also vowed to keep his sign displayed no matter how much pressure he receives. He even reminded Neil about how his parents had to learn English when they came to this country. He said that if his customers order in any other language, he'll give them Cheez Whiz on bread. Joe posed some rhetorical questions: If one goes into a Puerto Rican neighborhood, how many signs would be seen in English? When one is on the telephone, it may say press 1 for English, press 2 for Spanish; but where is the number for, say, Italian or Korean?
It is said that bad press is better than no press, and Vento, saavy businessman, took full advantage of the controversy surrounding the sticker. Playing off of the national press coverage, Vento revealed t-shirts stating the same message. He gave away many of these t-shirts, and some of the staff wear the t-shirts while working. They are still for sale. Vento admitted the coverage increased business.
[edit] External links
- The History of Geno's Steaks
- Geno's steaks website
- Fortune magazine article on Geno's Steaks and Pat's Steaks
[edit] References
- ^ Gaiutra Bahadu (2006-05-30). An old struggle to adapt to a new country's ways. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved on 2006-06-04.; Gaiutra Bahadu (2006-06-02). Editorial: Here's the latest word from Geno's. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved on 2006-06-04.; both articles note that pointing at the menu item is not allowed; Patrick Walters (2006-06-08). English only at Philly cheesesteak joint. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2006-06-08. (includes use of caps in sign); David Zucchino (2006-06-14). An English-Only Beef in a Cheesesteak Joint? Comin' Right Up. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2006-06-14. (includes picture of sign)
